Quality Inn Wilmington

The room was tidy, including the bedroom, desk, TV and lamp, and the staff were great. Breakfast was good too, and the dining area was kept clean. My only issue was mold around the shower handle, not across the whole shower. I pointed it out and staff made a note to deal with it. Otherwise, it was a nice stay and I’d recommend it.

I was staying at Quality Inn for the fourth night and had planned to pay with another of my own cards. At 11:05, David, the assistant manager, called to ask whether I was checking out. When I said I’d come down shortly with the card, he assumed it belonged to someone else because of my tattoos. I own Good Vibes tattoo shop in Boone North Carolina, and I told him I had several cards of my own. He then asked if something was going on and claimed there was a lot of traffic in and out of my room. That wasn’t true; only my girlfriend was there. You need a key card to enter any of the hotel’s doors, and when I checked in I’d specifically asked for a safe place without traffic because of drug activity at many hotels along this road. David said okay and hung up, then called back three minutes later telling us to leave immediately. I went downstairs and told him he’d judged me unfairly. I mentioned that I’m a business owner and have friends who are county mayors, and that I’ve tattooed police officers, nurses and doctors, but he stayed rude. I’m contacting headquarters to file a complaint. He was unprofessional, and I wouldn’t stay here if people with tattoos are treated this way.

For a stopover, the location is handy: about 10 minutes from ILM and the historic waterfront, with shops and restaurants nearby. The price is reasonable, and the older building has been renovated so thoroughly that I first thought it was new construction. It feels modern, clean and quiet. The shower and tub controls are the concern: hot and cold are reversed, with only a sticker warning guests. That could be dangerous, especially for children, and really needs to be fixed before someone gets hurt.

Breakfast was a decent, basic hotel spread, and the staff were friendly. The room smelled a bit strange when we arrived, though turning down the AC and opening a window seemed to clear it up. We checked in about half an hour early, so maybe the cleaning supplies smell was from the room having just been cleaned. The location is amazing, and we’d definitely return if we were in the area.